The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-06-15
REV. DR.. TALMAGE.
THE BROOKLYN DIVINE'S sun.
DAY SERMON.
Preached to Soldiers From Thirty
One States at the National
Drill Encampment in
Washington.

TEXTS: "Fifty thousand ,cLich could keep
rank" 1. Chronicles xii, t3: and ''Ecerg one
could sling stones q hairs breadth and not
miss" Judges xS.. IT,
Companies of infantry, cavalry, artillery
and zouaves, please notice the first Scripture
passage ,applauds the soldiers OF ZehTlun,
because they were disciplined troops. They
may have been inefficient at the start and
laughed at by old soldiers because they
seemed so clumsy in the line, but it was drill,
drill, drill, until they could keep step as one
man. Fifty thousand which could keep
rank" The second Scripture passage ap..
plauds regiment of singers, Ill the tribe OF
Benjamin, because they are dextrous marks
men. When they first enlisted they may have
fbeen an awkward squad and all their fingers
were thumbs, but they practlced until when
they aimed at a mark they always hit it.
s:Every one could sling stones at hair
breadth and not miss" Both texts combin-
ing to show us that II we must hghe we
should do it we'll.
There is something absorbing in the mill
tary science of the Bible. In olden times all
the men between twenty and fifty years Of
age were enrolled i'll the army and then levy
was made for special service. There were
only three or four classes exempt: those who
had built house and had not occupied it;
those who had planted garden and had not
reaped the fruit of it: those who were en-
gagged to be married and had not led the bride
to the altar; those who were yet in the first
wear of welded life; those who were so ner-
vous that they could not look upon an enemy
but they fled, and could not look upon blood
but they tainted.
The army was in three divisionS-the CEN
tire and right and left wings. The weapons Of
defence were helmet, shield, breaStplate,
buckler. The weapons of offence were sword,
spear, javelin, arrow, catapult-whlch was
. merely bow swung by machinery, shooting
,isIfo, NTA
arrow as large as several men could lift; and
| ballista which was sling swung by ma
: chinery, hurting great rocks and large pieces
of lead to vast distances. The shields
were made of woven willow-worE
with three thicknesses of hide and
arm of the warrior might be thrust; and
when these soldiers were marching to attack
an enemy on the level, all these shields
| touched each other, making a wall, moving
but impenetrable, and then when they
attacked fortress and tried to capture a
| battlement this shield was lifted over the
head SO as to resist the falling of the missiles.
The brestplate, was made OF two pieces of
leather, brass covered, one piece falling over
the breast, the other falling over the back.
At the side of the warrior the two pieces
fastened with buttons or clasps.
The bows were so stout and stiff and strong
that the warriors often challenged each
were made from the sinews of oxen. A case
like an inverted pyramid was fastened to the
back, that case containing the arrows, so
that when the warrior wanted to use an
arrow he would put his arm over his
shoulder and pull forth the arrow for the
fight. The ankle of the foot had on ali iron
boot When a wall was to be assaulted
battering ram was brought up. A battering
ram yTas a great beam swung on Chains in
equilibrium The battering ram would be
brought close up to the wall and then great
number of men would take hold of this beam,
push it back as far as they could and then
let 60 and the beam became great swinging
pendulum of destruction.
Twenty or forty men would stand in
movable tower on the back of an elephant,
the elephant made drunk with wine, and
then headed toward the enemy, and what
with the heavy feet and the swinging probo-
scis and the poisoned arrows shot from the
movable tower, the destruction was appalling.
War chariots were in vogue and they were
, on two wheels so they could easily turn.
sword was fastened to the pole between the
horses so when they went ahead the sword
thrust and when they turned around it would
NOV down. The armies carried flags beauti-
fully embroidered. Tribe Of Judah carried
flag embroidered with lion; tribe of Reuben,
embroidered with man: tribe of Dan. enl-
broidered with cherubim. The noise of the host,
as they moved on, was Overwhelming. What
with the clatter of shields, and the
rumbling of wheels, and the shouts of
the captains, and the vociferation of the ell
tire host, the prophet says it was like the
roaring of the sea Because the arts of war
have been advancing all these years, you are
not to conclude th"t these armies of clden
times were an unco. -ollable mob. I could
quote yon four or five passages Of Scripture,
showing you that they were thoroughly
drilled; they marched step to STEP shoulder
to shoulder, or, as my text expresses it, they
were "Fifty thousand which could keep
rank" and every one could sling stones a
hairs breath and not miss
congratulate you, the officers and SOL
diers of this national encampment; that if a
foreign attack should at any time be made
You would be ready, and there would be
millions Of the drilled men Of North and
South like the men of my first text (which
could keep rank and like the men of my
second text, that would not miss a hairs
breadth.
At this national drill when thirty -one
States of the Union are represented, and be-
tween the decoration of the graves Of the
Southern dead. which took nlare few da''S
ago, and the decorations of the graves of
the Northern dead, which shall take
place tomorrow, would stir the Christian
patriotism and gratitude not only of this
Soldiery here present but of all the people by
putting before them the difference between
these times when the soldiers or all sections
meet in peace and the times when they met
in contest. Contrast the feeling of Sec
tional bitterness in 1862 with the feeling of
sectional amity i'll 1857. At the first date
the South had banished the national air, the
Star Spangled Banner, and the North had
banished the popular air Of Way Down
South in Dixie The Northern people were
''mudsills" and the Southern people were
<'white trash" The more Southern people
were killed in battle the better the North
liked it. The more Northern people were
killed in battle the better the South like
1t. For four years the head of Abraham
Lincoln or jefferson Davis would have been
worth million dollars if delivered on either
side of the line No need now stand
ing in our puipits and platforms Of saying
that the North and South did not hate each
other. To estimate how very dearly they
loved each other, count up the bombshells that
were hurled and the carbines that were
loaded and the cavalry horses that were
mounted. North and South facing each other
all around in the attempt to kill. The two
sections not only marshaled ell their earthly
hostilties, but tried to reach up and get hold
of the sword of heaven, and the prayer Of
the Northern and Southern pulpies gave
more information to the heavens
about the best mode Of settling this trouble
than was ever used. For four years both
sides tried to get hold Of the Lords thunder
bolts but could not quite reach them AT
the breaking out of the war we had not for
months heard of my dear uncle, Samuel j.
Talmage, President of the Oglethorpe Uni
versity in Georgia. He was about the grand
est man ever knew and as good as good